Village Heroes from WWII

Following the acclaimed success of the Christleton Great War Voices 1914-18 Project, members of Christleton Local History Group are beginning to research the story of the Parish in WWII. Our starting point is the War Memorial and the names of the fallen from WWII, 1939-45. We have now located the initial information for most of the men, but can’t find any information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website about two of the men on the War Memorial.

Tim Collins RAF & Alfred Parry Jones Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

We would be very grateful if anyone knows any details of either of these men they would get in touch with the Local History Group. We can be contacted on 01244 332410 or by email, cummings.d@uwclub.net

We are also looking to record the stories of men and women who served in the war, and the memories of adults & children who lived in the village, who remember the arrival of evacuee children from Liverpool, and how they shared the schools during this time. It is hoped to publish all the information we find in a commemorative book, telling the story of the Parish of Christleton, including Littleton, Rowton, Cotton Abbots and Cotton Edmunds during this period. Please contact David (details above) if you are able to help.

David Cummings
Chairman
February 2018

Henry Edward Allman - Flying Officer Air Bomber
153326, 90 Sqdn. Royal Air Force who died 30 August.1944 age 33
Remembered with Honour Aalestrup Churchyard, Denmark
Son of George E & Mary Allman of Chester; husband of Gwyneth Vaughan Allman

Hugh Ashley - Gunner
11429289, Royal Artillery who died on 25th August 1946 Age 23
Remembered with Honour at Heliopolis War Cemetery, Egypt
Son of Hugh & Elizabeth Ashley, of Vicars Cross, Chester

Frank Baker - Private
7613391. Royal Army Ordnance Corps who died on 15th July 1944
Remembered with Honour at St James’ Churchyard, Christleton Chester

Tim Collins - Royal Air Force
No further information at present.

Richard Campbell Evans - Lieutenant
277891 17th/21st Lancers. Royal Armoured Corps who died 28 June 1944 age 21
Remembered with Honour at Assisi War Cemetery, Italy
Son of William Henry & Margaret Crawford Campbell Evans of Vicars Cross Chester

Christopher Walker Grayston - Lance Serjeant
2721896, 3rd Bn., Irish Guards who died of 1st October 1944 age 24
Remembered with Honour at Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery, Netherlands
Son of Ernest & Elizabeth Grayston; husband of Gwendoline Grayston of Christleton

Anthony Hemelryk - Lieutenant
HM Submarine P 222. Royal Marines who died 21 December 1942 age 21
Remembered with Honour at Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Son of Col. Paul H. Hemelryk & Dorothy Hemelryk of Newmarket, Flintshire

William Frederick Eyre Hussey - Lieutenant Commander
DSO, DSC, Twice mentioned in Despatches
HMS Lively, Royal Navy who died on 11th May 1942 age 33
Remembered with Honour at Plymouth Naval Memorial
Son of Federick K Eyre Hussey & Edith May Hussey; husband of Diana Derham Hussey
(nee Andrews) of Southsea, Hampshire


Alfred Parry Jones - Royal Welsh Fusiliers
(No further Information at present)

William Edward Jones - Guardsman (Edward William Jones on CWGC List)
2621669, 5th Bn. Grenadier Guards who died on 7th April 1945 age 36
Remembered with Honour at Cassino Memorial, Italy.
Son of Edward & Sarah Jones, of Rowton, Chester

Geoffrey Langmede - Flying Officer
153296, 189 Sqdn.,R A F Volunteer Reserve who died 2nd February 1945 age 20
Remembered with Honour at Runnymede Memorial, Surrey
Son of Harold Yorke Langmede and Evelyn Langmede, of Christleton, Chester

Eric Geoffrey Lockley - Lance Serjeant
548061, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, Royal Armoured Corps
who died on 24th May 1940 age 29
Remembered with Honour at Dunkirk Memorial, Northern France
Son of William & Rosette Lockley of Hoole Chester; husband of Elsie Lockley of Christleton

Harry Briggs Mellor - Sergeant Pilot
658718, 10 Sqdn., R A F Volunteer Reserve who died 16th July 1943 age 21
Remembered with Honour Recey-sur-Ource Communal Cemetery, Cote D’or
Son of Harry Briggs Mellor and Mary Mellor

George Freeman Pratt - Leading Aircraftman U/T Observer
1002544, RAF Volunteer Reserve who died on 28th January 1941 age 19
Remembered with Honour at Waverton St Peter’s Church, Waverton, Chester
Son of George Archibald and Hilda E A Pratt of Rowton, Chester

Charles Frederick Rathbone - Gunner
3391236, 4 Bty., 2 Maritime A.A. Regt. Royal Artillery who died 3rd June 1941 age 28
Remembered with Honour Freetown (King Tom) Cemetery Sierra Leone
Son of Robert & Lillie Rathbone; husband of Sarah Rathbone, of Hounslow, London

David Oswald Smith - Lieutenant D S C
HMS Gurka, Royal Navy who died on 9th April 1940
Remembered with Honour at Plymouth Naval Memorial

Alfred Kenneth Testi - Trooper
14420904, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
Royal Armoured Corps who died on 28th March 1945 age 19
Remembered with Honour at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery N. Westfallen Germany
Son of Alfred & Gladys Testi of Christleton, Chester

Edward Walter Weaver - Private
3973708, Welch Regiment who died on 1st December 1942 age 20
Remembered with Honour at Medjez-El-Bab Memorial Tunisia
Son of David William & Constance Weaver, of Christleton, Chester

Norman Weaver - Private
14697014, 7th Bn. Seaforth Highlanders who died 15th February 1945 age 32
Remembered with Honour at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery N Westfallen
Germany
Son of Richard & Eliza E Weaver of Chester; husband of Margaret Weaver of Boughton, Chester

Edward Woolley - Private
22nd County of Lancaster (Rochdale) Btn Home Guard who died 13th March 1944
Remembered with Honour St James’ Churchyard, Christleton, Chester
Son of William & Martha Wooley; husband of Dorothy May Woolley of Rochdale, Lancs.